The present invention relates to forming a decorative pattern on glassware having an edge. More specifically, the present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for forming a decorative pattern on the edge of glassware during the production process.
As part of the process for manufacturing glassware, formed glassware is moved to a moil burnoff spindle machine. Conventional spindle machines include 24 or 36 spindles. The spindles include vacuum chucks that receive and hold the glassware as the spindle machine rotates. The moil or undesired portion of the glassware is burned off by a flame and discarded in the spindle machine.
It has been found that there is a need for a device that can form a decorative pattern on the edge of glassware prior to annealing while the glassware is being rotated by the moil burnoff spindle machine. In a prior art process, decorative patterns were formed after the time of annealing. In this process, the edge of a piece of glassware was heated after annealing, and the molten glass was allowed to flow onto a forming tool in the shape of the decorative pattern. This process was inefficient because it resulted in a high percentage of breakage. The present invention eliminates this problem.
It has also been found that there is a need for a small, portable and relatively inexpensive decorative pattern forming assembly that can be used with any conventional moil burnoff spindle machine. The present invention satisfies the above-identified needs.